Building a Civilization of Love through the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart

Editor's Note: Today, I am thrilled to welcome this guest contribution from Thomas J. Mueller, Board Chairman of the Sacred Heart Apostolate. I grew up in the same parish as the Mueller family, attended school with Mr. Mueller's children, and took guitar lessons with his lovely wife Kay. Their family was a model of love and virtue in our parish community and I thank him for sharing his gifts so freely to draw others into closer communion with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Please follow the link in the article and do what you can to support this important initiative. LMH

We are all born to a purpose that was in God’s mind forever.  That may never happen if one does not heed an abridged version of Psalm 95, “If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts.”

In 1954, at nineteen years of age, my parents enthroned the Sacred Heart in their family of eleven children.  I was in college and did not hear all the reasons why they did this. I did hear later that the Lord promised significant graces to those that honored his Sacred Heart.

In 1961, three year after our first child was born, my wife and I were perplexed that a second child had not yet been given to us.  By chance we heard a priest tell about the twelve promises made by the Sacred Heart to those who honored his Heart.  We decided to follow the process and prayers found in a little brown booklet called “Thy Kingdom Come” written by Fr. Francis Larkin, ss.cc.  On Sunday August 6, 1961, on the Feast of the Transfiguration, we proclaimed that Jesus Christ was the King and Friend of our family.  Present were four close friends and our three year old boy.  We had stepped out in faith depending on a promise given to St. Margaret Mary in the Visitation Chapel of Paray-le-Monial, France: “I will bless every dwelling in which an image of my Heart is both exposed and honored.”  We placed a beautiful blessed statue of the Sacred Heart in a place of honor in our home.  Nine months and eight days later, our second son was born. We honored Our Lady also by placing a companion statue that emphasized her Immaculate heart, and made an act of consecration to her.

As time went by, our family continued to grow as did our involvement in Church life and continued successes in my professional life.  Our family made attachment to the Heart of Christ a way of life.  Blessings, disappointments, decisions, joys and sorrows were all shared with Him.  Another young man from my parish was definitely called to be an apostle of the Sacred Heart. In October of 1970 he asked me to attend a meeting with the National Director of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Francis Larkin, ss.cc.  I was reluctant because I was already overloaded with parish activity, with family and my rising responsibilities with an Aerospace company.  I was really impressed with Fr. Larkin, but the time factor was out of reach.  My friend and Fr. Larkin desired that we bring the good news of the Enthronement to families. Where will the time come from? Two weeks after my orientation with Fr. Larkin in which he gave me a book (still unread) called “Enthronement of the Sacred Heart”, my wife was ready to deliver our fifth child. The first four children were born within an hour of getting to the hospital. Not our youngest, she was too comfortable in the womb.  Starting at six in the morning, the delayed birth event began. I had brought Fr. Larkin’s book with me.  I would read a chapter or two and then check up on my spouse.  All day, nothing.  At about 5:30 pm that day I finished the book and said to myself, I must make changes to give me the time to be an apostle of the Sacred Heart.  Guess what, our child was born almost immediately.

The years flew by and I met an outstanding couple named Jack and Gloria Anson of Syracuse, New York.  She was on fire with love for Jesus and worked with Fr. Larkin’s successor, Fr. William Mitchell to educate those involved with the Enthronement ministry to better appreciate their role as apostles.  We hooked up as a team in 1990 and planned a Sacred Heart Congress to be held in Syracuse in 1991.  This was followed by a Sacred Heart Conference at the University of Steubenville in 1993, then a Sacred Heart Convocation in Syracuse in 1997, and then a Sacred Heart Family Conference in Syracuse in 2007.  The date selected was the 100^th anniversary of the actual healing of Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, ss.cc, whose illness kept him from executing the mandate given him in June 1907 by St. Pius X. The pope commanded him to bring the Enthronement all over the world.   He was able to go to 22 countries before his extended sickness and death on May 4, 1960.

Our 2007 Sacred Heart Family Conference was preceded by a special meeting of three priests and two women who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to ask the question, what about after our Family Conference, where do we go next?  Their vision became one of continuing the work begun by Mateo with emphasis on a plan that would include some country in all five continents.  The Holy Spirit guided us to Europe first, the place where Fr. Mateo was cured. Lima, Peru is next and eventually Africa, Oceana and Asia.  In time the Holy Spirit will identify the City and Country.

Why are we doing this? We firmly believe from our personal life experiences that the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is the remedy for all families, especially for the times we live in today.  Pope John Paul II wrote about two matters more than once.  One was the importance of coming against the culture of death by building a civilization of love. The other was that the key to evangelization would be rooted in families.  Those of us that have evangelized families about the “way of life” that follows from the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart realize that families spread the message by being a ‘light’ to other families.  Society as a whole is a reflection of its families.  If family spirituality is high it affects other families.  The transformation of many families that live out Christ centered behavior begins to transform society.  The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a significant means for transforming society.

Our organization raised $224,000 to plan and execute our mission to  Paray-le-Monial in France.  We are in great need of new funds and funding sources.   We are also in need of dedicated prayer warriors to invoke God’s blessings on our many efforts. Please reach out to sources you know or let us know who we could contact for financial assistance.

If you wish to know more about the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, spend time at our website at www.sacredheartapostolate.com.  You can also view three of our many speakers at our First Sacred Heart World Congress in Paray-le-Monial by a Google Search.  Type in: Fr. Richard McNally on YouTube or Fr. William Petrie on YouTube or Gloria Anson on YouTube.

Those who can donate to our mission are asked to make Checks payable to the Sacred Heart Apostolate, Inc., and mail to 105 Stanton Avenue, Solvay, NY 13209.  We are a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization listed in the Official Catholic Directory published by P.J. Kenedy & Sons. There is also a DONATE button on our website that transfers credit card submittals to our bank through Paypal.

Love in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

Thomas J. Mueller

Sacred Heart Apostolate, Inc.

Board Chairman